U.S. Seeks Phoumi’s Resignation

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29832, 26 May 1962, Page 11

U.S. Seeks Phoumi’s Resignation

(N Z.P .A.-Reuter—Copy rig nt) LONDON, May 25. Laotian Government officials said today that the United States had demanded the resignation of General Phoumi Nosavan, the “strong-man” of the pro-Western Vientiane regime, from his Cabinet posts.

General Phoumi, the Deputy Prime Minister of Prince Botui Gum’s Government. controls the Royal armed forces as Defence and Interior Minister. The United States blamed him for blocking negotiations to set up a coalition government in Laos under the neutralist. Prince Souvanna Phouma, the Associated Press reported. Responsible Government officials said the United States Assistant Secretary of State (Mr Averell Harriman) had summoned the Laotian Ambassador in Washington and told him the United States had no more confidence in General Phoumi. Mr Harriman was reported to have said that General Phoumi “must quit the Government” or the United States would be obliged to reconsider its aid to the Vientiane regime. Report Denied In , Washington, the State Department yesterday denied that the United States Central Intelligence Agency was opposing President Kennedy's policy in the Laos crisis. A statement made by the official spokesman (Mr Lincoln White) said that policy towards Laos was set by the

State Department in conjunction with the President. Other United States Government agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency, were carrying out that policy. The statement was made after publication of a report in "The Times.” London, yesterday, that the Kennedy Administration was “now convinced that the Central Intelligence Agency has been up to its old devices again and muet share a large part of the responsibility for the situation in Laos. "Apparently evidence shows that the swarm of C.I.A. agents in Laos deliberately opposed the official American objective of trying to establish a neutral government in Laos,” the article said. Mr White told a press conference that he had received many queries about “The Times” report. He then read the statement saying: “In answer to those queries, I would like to say the Department of State has set the policy of the Government in Laos in conjunction with the President, and other agencies of the Government, including the C.1.A., are carrying out that policy. “The functions of the C.I.A. in Laos are to collect intelligence essential to the interests of the United States Government and it is doing that." Asked whether he would characterise “The Times” story as “completely false,” Mr White replied: “If what I have said means anything, it means precisely that."